_Greek and Roman Technology: A Sourcebook_ by Humphrey, Oleson and Sherwood is a fascinating and yet accessible examination of ancient technology in all its aspects. The sourcebook format is particularly well suited to such a diverse topic, and brings the reader closer to the Greeks and Romans in letting us read their own writings about technology. The authors have amassed a spectacular collection of passages from ancient authors on all aspects of ancient technology: the rise of technology and civilization (including some mythical sources), sources of energy and basic mechanical devices, agriculture, food processing, mining, metallurgy, construction engineering, hydraulic engineering, household crafts and workshop production (metals, wood, ceramics, textiles, etc.), transport and trade, record-keeping, and military technology. The final chapter on "Attitudes towards labour, innovation, and technology" is particularly interesting in light of modern issues. The passages themselves are well translated into readable English and are prefaced by short yet very informative introductions on the subject at hand. There seem to be no missing categories I could think of. A short introduction explains the approach of the book, the sources, and contains an essay on "society and technology in antiquity." There are several thorough indices, which make it a handy reference book and source for further study. Anyone who is genuinely interested in the ancient world or the history of science and technology should enjoy this book. It is eminently dippable and can easily be read a few pages at a time. It would make a great present for a well read friend.

I thoroughly recommend the purchase of this book to anyone engaged in the study of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as it almost functions as a "bible" of standard spectra for the elements. I also like the simple summary of the technique which actually includes a lot of information that would be hard to tease out of the overly technical texts on XPS that are around. For Universities and Research Institutes who have personnel experienced in XPS or who have the instrumentation, it is an essential purchase

I ordered this book expecting a lot of computer jargon that I would not understand. I am new to programming and this book really helped me learn a few things about VB5 and web development. The instructions were very informative and really explained how everything works. There were lessons to follow that made everything easier for me. The CD that comes with the book was very helpful and made the location of the code in the book easily accessible for reference. I would recommend this book to anyone learning VB5 and web development.

Coming out of RazorBlade Press, Hideous Progeny is one monstrously beautiful anthology that explores the world as it would have been if Dr. Victor Frankenstein's gruesome experiments had not gone awry. Writers such as Tim Lebbon, Peter Crowther, Steven Volk, Steve Rasnic Tem, and Rhys Hughes (to name just a few) each donate a small literary organ to the mix, and everything is skilfully stitched together into a marvellous book by first-time editor Brian Willis.

Cosmetically, the book is a two-face: while cover design by Chris Nurse is nothing short of outstanding, the internal layout is not without blemish. For example, outside margins are too wide, story titles are not always at the same height in the page, and the author's name is italicised in some but not all of the instances. Another gripe I have is that page numbers on the right-hand pages are left-aligned; plus, headers have no indication about the stories presented below them: these will give you a bad time if you want to riffle through the book to look up a specific something. There are a few extra typesetting warts and moles as well, as I noticed some characters showing up in a different size than the rest of the text, uneven spacing between words, typos derived from bad OCR, and so on. I sincerely encourage RazorBlade Press to pay more attention to internal design in the future, and run a few spell checks as well. Still, don't let appearances fool you, because the writing on these pages is top-notch.

In the whole, I was not in the least disappointed by Hideous Progeny while expecting quality work. Many short stories surprised me by their original angles, and all are very well written. The subjects are quite varied too, although some do overlap a little - it seems inevitable given the limitations inherent to their collective premise. I have my favourites, of course: Peter Crowther's piece is shocking yet touching at the same time, and the idea behind "Mad Jack" is a simple but nevertheless brilliant one. "The Banker of Ingolstadt" is perhaps the funniest in the book, and I found Steven Volk's "Blitzenstein" to rank among the best.

Whatever shortcomings the book has, they're quickly overwhelmed by the superb fiction it it, not to mention a downright gorgeous cover. For £6.99, it's well worth getting Hideous Progeny: not only will you be adding a fine specimen of a book to your library, you'll also be helping small press business to thrive. Because I want to see more from RazorBlade Press. Oh yeah.

Such bleak times in our history. It brings it to life yet pulls you in and makes you feel like you are actually there.

Being a health care executive, I feel I am fairly qualified to write a review on health care books. This book was very impressive, and I especially liked hearing what other executives of health care companies think about the future of the industry. I have read too many business books by unknown authors-this was finally one with some insight from people in industry. I highly recommend this book to any one interested in health care or in the health care industry.

I first came across this book last year when I was feverishly studying for my 4th year medical exams. What really excited me was that I could look things up in the index and actually find a paragraph or two explaining my query, no matter how obscure the reference. Textbooks like Harrisons baffle me; why would I want to spend 45 minutes looking at the ten different times my word has been mentioned when all I want to know is what it means and when its important.

Anyway I think this textbook is very well set out and thouroughly comprehensive. Obviously its not a bed-time read, but its really helpful when you're stumped by a fact in a multi-guess paper or you have some obscure fact to look up and present to your consultant.

I have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars. Right now I'm waiting on the next edition....I hope it comes in soon.

David Van Der Poorten (5th year medicine University of New South Wales) Australia

We strived to keep this book simple, current and pertinent to real world Internet marketing scenarios, and I believe we have succeeded. Our on-line book update has proven to be a great way to keep the book current between editions. A link is provided to a Web site which is updated regularly with new tips. Much of our material comes from our industry experience through our Web development company Raydiate (raydiate.com) and through speaking engagements with Silicon Valley executives.

We hope you enjoy this book, and find the tips useful for your Internet marketing endeavors.

Sincerely,

John Nobrega Co-Author and President of Raydiate, Inc.

Your editorial description is wrong and not
related to this book

I know I wrote the book !

This book is a textbook, but also aimed at the
general scientific reader, and describes the physics
that underpins environmental processes. these incluce
global warming, ozone depletion, energy use and
prospects for cleaner energy, weather (including
cloud physics) and climate and the physics of soils.

An attempt to demystify the ISO 9000 standard and the process of complying with it. Firsthand experience in the certification process allows the authors to clarify what is required in each step of the certification process. In clear, nontechnical terms, the book lays out: the interpretation of the standard for your organization, determination of the cost and length of time required, indentification of and focus on the quality assurance areas that are the subject of rigorous auditing, and gauging your organization's readiness. Of particular use are the sections on part by part analysis of what the standards really mean and the checklist for the determination of whether or not your company is ready for ISO certification.